If you manage private events at a restaurant, bar, or venue, you've probably spent more time than you'd like wrestling with Banquet Event Orders.
BEOs are the backbone of event execution. They contain everything your team needs to know: timing, menus, setup, pricing, and special requests. Get them wrong, and events fall apart. Get them right, and you look like a pro.
The question is: are you creating BEOs efficiently, or is the process eating up hours of your week?
The Problem with Traditional BEO Workflows
Most venues create BEOs in Word documents or generic PDF templates. The process usually looks something like this:
- Open a previous BEO and "Save As" a new file
- Manually update every field (and hope you don't miss any)
- Calculate pricing by hand or in a separate spreadsheet
- Export to PDF, email to client, wait for feedback
- Make revisions, re-export, re-send
- Print a signed copy, scan it, file it somewhere
This process is slow, error-prone, and creates a mess of file versions. Worse, it means your BEOs live separately from your lead tracking, your calendar, and your communication history.
What Modern BEO Software Does Differently
Modern BEO software integrates proposal creation into your broader event management workflow. Instead of disconnected documents, your BEOs become part of a unified system that includes:
- Drag-and-drop building: Add menu sections, timelines, room setups, and pricing blocks visually
- Automatic calculations: Set up your pricing once, and totals calculate themselves as you build
- Templates: Start from proven templates for different event types
- E-signatures: Send for signature directly; no printing, scanning, or filing
- Version history: See every change, by whom, and when
- Connected data: Client info, event details, and communication history flow in automatically
What to Look For in BEO Software
Not all BEO tools are created equal. When evaluating options, consider:
Ease of Use
Can your team create a professional BEO in minutes, not hours? Is the interface intuitive enough that training is minimal?
Customization
Can you add your branding, customize sections, and create templates that match your event types?
Integration
Does the BEO tool connect to your lead pipeline, calendar, and communication tools? Or is it another disconnected system?
E-Signatures
Can clients sign digitally? This alone can shave days off your booking process.
Pricing Flexibility
Can you handle different pricing structures: per-person, flat fees, packages, minimums?
The ROI of Better BEOs
Better BEO software pays for itself quickly:
- Time savings: Creating BEOs in minutes instead of hours frees up manager time
- Fewer errors: Automatic calculations eliminate pricing mistakes
- Faster bookings: Digital signatures close deals in hours, not days
- Professional impression: Beautiful, consistent proposals build client confidence
At Reunion, we built our BEO tool specifically for restaurants and venues — not hotels or enterprises. It's designed for the way independent operators actually work, with lean teams and high-touch service.
If you're still wrestling with Word docs and PDFs, it might be time to upgrade.